Stories about, Montreal rail commuters stiffed, PIE IX, transit courtesy starts with offering your seat, what is traffic gridlock and more in today's edition of the Transport Action Hotline.
Make a tax deductible donation to Transport Action Canada.
Transport Action Ontario, Sept. 8 pre-election public meeting
Make a tax deductible donation to Transport Action Canada.
Transport Action Ontario, Sept. 8 pre-election public meeting
Transport Action Ontario will hold a public meeting called "Ontario Political Parties on Transportation Policy: A Dialogue with Voters" on:
Thursday, September 8, 2011, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Metro Hall, 55 John St., Toronto, Rooms 308/09
Discussion Panelists include:
Cheri DiNovo, MPP for Parkdale-High Park and candidate for re-election. Current NDP Critic for Public Transit.
Frank De Jong, former leader of the Ontario Green Party and Green Party candidate for Davenport.
Frank Klees, MPP for Newmarket-Aurora and candidate for re-election. Current PC Critic for Transportation and Infrastructure.
The Liberal Party of Ontario has declined our invitation.
Questions and comments from the floor and from across the province are welcome. Please consult the Transport Action Ontario website for more details as they become available.
Transport 2000 Québec, Service rapide par bus sur le boulevard PIE-IX
Montréal, le 16 août 2011 – L’association Transport 2000 Québec dénonce les obstacles que dressent certains intervenants dans le projet d’implantation d’un service rapide par bus dans l’axe du boulevard Pie-IX à Montréal et à Laval. L’abandon du service dans la voie réservée à contresens de 1990 à 2002 avait pourtant été suivie de nombreuses études et consultations, avant que la ministre des Transports du Québec – madame Julie Boulet – ne rende une décision qui aurait pour effet d’améliorer considérablement l’image de marque du transport en commun et du service d’autobus à Montréal et à Laval dès le mois de décembre 2009. Son potentiel d’attraction s’en trouverait amélioré considérablement selon les études disponibles.
Transport 2000 considérait ce dossier non seulement comme une priorité nationale mais comme une urgence nationale ! L’organisme rappelle que le service d’autobus sur le boulevard Pie-IX transporte autant de passagers que toutes les lignes de trains de banlieue réunies. Ça va faire !
Rising costs derail Train de l'Est
"The Quebec government has suspended Montreal's long-awaited Train de l'Est project because of skyrocketing costs that have driven the estimated price of the commuter train line up to $665 million. The bill is about $200 million more than the $478-million price tag put on the project by the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) last August - and it's far more expensive than the $300-million budget that was initially calculated for the project in 2006,"Alison MacGregor reported for the Montreal Gazette on Aug. 13.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/todays-paper/Rising+costs+derail+Train+project/5244428/story.htm
Train de l'Est, Il est impératif de ne pas compromettre le projet
« En matinée du jour-même, on apprenait que le Conseil du Trésor du Québec désirait que tous les plans des travaux concernant le Train de l'Est entre Mascouche et Montréal soient révisés avant que de nouveaux appels d'offres soient émis. Il a été révélé qu'Infrastructure Québec (IQ) a évalué que les coûts du projet ont bondit de 478 millions à 665 millions au cours de la dernière année. Le gouvernement provincial a mandaté l'agence gouvernementale IQ de réétudier tous les travaux de construction et d'aménagement du projet de train de banlieue. La présidente du Conseil du Trésor a fait savoir que l'arrivée du train de banlieue était donc reportée à l'automne 2013 » Le Trait d'Union (Lachenaie), a rapporté le 13 août 2011.
« L'association Transport 2000, voué à la défense des droits et des intérêts des usagers du transport en commun a aussi diffusé publiquement ses inquiétudes. Le regroupement a peur que le projet du train de la Rive-Nord soit compromis. "Il est impératif de ne pas compromettre le projet, qui accuse déjà un retard d'au moins deux ans sur l'échéancier annoncé en mars 2006 par le premier ministre du Québec. On devrait au moins compléter les travaux rapidement dans l'axe Montréal-Repentigny, bref compléter le projet en deux temps", conseille le président de Transport 2000. » Le Trait d'Union (Lachenaie), a rapporté le 13 août 2011.
Transport Action, Train de lest, Finish what's almost done
It may be that the AMT will listen to Normand Parisien of Transport 2000 Quebec who has publicly suggested the AMT finish off the remaining work (most has been done) on the line from Canora to Repentigny while the AMT and the MTQ figure out what to do with their backwards-running line up to the CPR at Mascouche. A Transport Action source says the idea of building a new line was falsely justified by an inaccurate report by a hired gun who claimed that the CP line from Saint-Martin Junction across Laval to Mascouche was inadequately signalled and on poor rail, both untrue. Transport Action notes the fees the consultants get for work on a new line are much greater than for an upgrade of an existing one.
Transport 2000 Quebec, Normand Parisien, Offer your seat
The Montreal Gazette asked can courtesy be enforced? "Normand Parisien, executive director of Transport 2000 Quebec, a transit users lobby group, doesn't think so. "It's a deeper cultural issue and the only solution is education."
"Parisien added the idea of compelling people to give up their seats would likely be rejected by Montreal commuters. "They would see this as authoritarian. I think leading by example is best. Offer your seat to people who seem to need it," he said. "Even when they decline, it's still good to do it and people see you and it triggers the idea. And when it happens in reverse, it's quite something. When I drop something and someone picks it up for me, I am so touched. It creates a good feeling around you in your commute," Max Harrold reported for the Gazette on Aug. 15, 2011.
“Traffic Gridlock”: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?
Dr. Barry Wellar, Transport Action Canada's Distinguished Research Fellow, most recent report examines this question. Wellar reports: "The summary in answer to the question, is that since more that 99.99% of popular media statements and results from Google searches do not achieve real deal status, statements about so-called traffic gridlock amount to a large pile of nonsense."
Wellar concludes the 26-page paper observing "this report appears to be a first-of-its-kind exploratory investigation, and in part 4 I invite second opinions which confirm or challenge the contents and findings presented in this report. Towards that end, I suggest two types of second opinion studies: those which give further attention to concepts, variables, and constructs used in this study; and, those that introduce other concepts, variables, and constructs."
Transport Action Canada works on Vancouver-Portland service
Transport Action Canada has co-signed a letter by members of the cost recovery group urging the federal government to continue the exemption from CSBA for the 2nd Seattle-Van train. The effort is spearheaded by the Cascadia Center.
Transport 2000 Québec, Menaces de compressions en transport des personnes
Montréal, le 16 août 2011 – L’association Transport 2000 Québec déplore
vivement les menaces de compressions budgétaires que laisse planer le
Conseil du trésor, non seulement à l’égard des projets de développement à
venir mais aussi sur des projets nécessaires déjà annoncés par le
Gouvernement (!).
Ainsi, plusieurs d’entre eux ont été soigneusement élaborés, planifiés et
représentent un potentiel d’attraction considérable auprès des usagers.
Comme le souligne le président du Conseil monsieur Robert A. Dubé, le
Gouvernement devra être cohérent, dans le contexte de problèmes de
congestion toujours croissants et dans sa volonté de réduire les émissions
de gaz à effet de serre (GES) dont le secteur des transports routiers est
responsable à hauteur de 40 %, d’une reconduction prévue en janvier prochain
de la politique de financement extrêmement efficace mise en place en 2006
pour la période 2007-2011 et de la nécessité d’avoir un bassin de
main-d’œuvre disponible, compétente et dans des conditions de mobilité
convenables; on ne peut pas affirmer d’un côté de la bouche que les
transports collectifs constituent une priorité et de l’autre exiger des
compressions budgétaires additionnelles dans ce secteur d’activités !
Transport Action Ontario, Dismiss Funding Request for Sheppard Subway
On August 17 Toronto Mayor Rob Ford asked the Ontario government to divert
$650-million from the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown to an extension of the
Sheppard Subway. Transport Action Ontario urges the Ontario Government to dismiss this request.
"The TTC's annual operating subsidy is likely about to be cut by tens of
millions of dollars. It makes no sense to build unjustified subway
extensions that will require a large additional subsidy when the existing
subsidy is being cut. This is a recipe for either financial disaster or
draconian service cuts in other TTC services," Karl Junkin Transport Action
Ontario board member says.
"Even with the new trains and other upgrades, Yonge still has far too little
room to grow. That endangers the sustainability of the entire subway
system. Our interpretation of the TTC’s own figures suggest the Yonge
Subway will run out of capacity in 20 years if there is no system expansion
– and in markedly less time if there is system expansion," Junkin says.
Delays and Breakdowns for the Ocean and Chaleur
Transport Action's John Pearce writes: "I hesitate to recommend excessive criticism of VIA operations, but there are serious problems in the "corridor" and Gaspe-Maritimes this summer. Among these are:
July 11 Locomotive failure on #16 in Gaspe. #17 returning annuled.
July 18 Mechanical problems with Renaissance equipment
July 30: Park car broke down, cut off train #14 and not available on #15 on 31st.
Freight train delays: Chaleur leaving Montreal 80 mins late (due to corridor track work and baggage delays) arrived at Matapedia 3 hours late. The most beautiful part of the rail trip is east of New Carlisle and it is now (often) made on the unspectacular highway 132 by bus (3 trips of 7 in first half July were short-turned)
Track work and excessive checked baggage due to use of Renaissance coaches and forced checking of bags through Ottawa (for example) cause many delays.
Renaissance cars need baggage racks as HEP1 and LRC have for corridor use, then checking of large baggage items would not be mandatory, John Pearce reported on Aug. 18.
Renfew County hoping to acquire CP line
"Renfrew County, ON's director of development and property will be the county's point person when it comes to moving forward with plans to acquire the CP line between Smiths Falls and Mattawa. Paul Moreau will represent Renfrew County on a proposed consortium involving representatives of Lanark County, the Township of Papineau-Cameron and the Town of Mattawa. Earlier this year, all four municipalities requested the first right of refusal with CP to acquire the rail bed for future use through resolutions of council," the Pembroke Observer, reported on August 11, 2011
Metrolinx stretches the truth on electrification ... and gets caught
On Aug. 16 Metrolinx reported: The Advertising Standards Canada determined that Metrolinx had provided information that gave a mistaken impression in our March 2011 quarterly mailer about electrification.
"While our item noted that the Metrolinx Board had approved the staff recommendation to electrify the Georgetown and Lakeshore lines, with the Air Rail Link (ARL) as the first phase, the item did not go on to specify timelines and that the engines used by the ARL service would not be electric when the service commences in 2015, but instead provided a link to our website with the information," Metrolinx reported.
"To clarify, Metrolinx is currently in the procurement stage to retain a consultant to undertake the preliminary design for the electrification of the ARL service, and to complete the Environmental Assessment for the electrification of the ARL. The Environmental Assessment is anticipated to take 3-4 years. Subject to the acceptance of the results of the Environmental Assessment by the Minister of the Environment, electrification of the ARL could then proceed based on funding availability and approval of the Metrolinx Board of Directors. The ARL service will begin in 2015, using Tier 4 Diesel Multiple Units, which are convertible to electric propulsion," the Ontario government agency reported. The mailer is here.
CAPT, Travel the Algoma Central with the Group of Seven
Hotline 1127, August 19, 2011
(formerly Transport 2000 / anciennement Transport 2000 Canada)
info@transport-action.ca
(613) 594-3290
Recorded Hotline: 1-800-771-5035
RSS: feed://www.transport-action.ca/rss/tarss.php
Calendar
20 et 21 août, À Charny, Festirail, Revit, en collaboration avec le groupe TRAQ charnyrevit@videotron.ca
Sept. 17 Sault Ste-Marie, CAPT Group of Seven Train Event, http://www.groupofseventrainevent.ca
Sept. 17 Regina, Transport Action Prairie, Annual General Meeting, Knox-Metropolitan United Church, 2340 Victoria Ave., 2 - 4 pm.